The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-29
C. G. ROSENPLAENFER
REPORTS ON THE CONDITION OF
THE JAIL ..
To the Grand Jury and Finds That
a Great Many Repairs are
Necessary.

q Great Many Repairs are
Necessary.
Yesterday Capt. A. G. Tuther, fore
man Of the grand jury, presented to
Judge DuBosP, OF the Criminal Court,
the report of Architect O. G. Rosen-
plsenter on the condition of the Coun-
ty Jail, the architect having made a
thorough examination OF the building.
The report is as follows:
To A. q. luther, Foreman Of the Grand
Jury, and Members OF the Committee:
GKNTLKMEN-In compliance with
your instructions 1 have made care
full examination OF the County Jail,
and beg leave to submit the following
report:
The condition Of the Jail is anything
but satisfactory, and the following
statement will show the deficiency If
same as we'll as the method to remedy
the evil. The cells located Ia the in.
terror of the building are not what
modern Ingenuity commends, and
what is called at the present time a
modern jail. The items found below
require immediate and vigorous atten-
ton to make the cells secure, habitable
and clean.
BLEB ROOM.
found everything in this depart
ment in an exceedingly dilapidated
condition-5oiler set ing giving way,
steam and supply pipes corroded aud
pit ed by rust and wear, and all valves
in bad order and leaking; old style,
two hue boiler. At the time OF the
examination there was very hot FIRE
under the boiler, and the steam gauge
registered only ten pounds pressure
per square inch, indicating that the
gauge is of no value ID carries steam
without any knowledge of what press.
ure the boiler is subjected to, thus
demonstrating that the entire steam
heating apparatus Is totally inade quate
for the purpose required, as steam for
heating must be at sufficient Press'
ure, perfectly dry and superheated,
which can only be accomplished with
good head OF steam in the boiler.
THE srEAM HEATING APPARATUS
is almost a complete wreck. The
pipes are exposed t. weather, earth
and metallic contact, thereby causing
condensation OF steam and great loss
in effectiveness in heating aud waste
OF fuel. All the pipes should be COW
cred with non-oonducting material
from the boiler houte TO the registers,
and steam traps should be 30 con-
structed as to permit condensed steam
returning to boiler, which will save O
large per cent. Of heat aud fuel at
present wasted. New feed pumps and
machinery should also bs applied.
The supply OF water from the Court
house, Il properly applied, will be am
pie, while that from the city mains Is
not at all adequate for the require.
mentB.
SEWERS
The water closets and urinals, which
are in each cell, are in bad condition,
poisoning the atmosphere with the
tunes OF decayed matter, corroded iron
and uric acid. The exhaust pipes, as
we'll as all others, are OF iron and COM
pletely rusted and Choked up.
CELLs,
The floors in the cells, which are OF
boiler plate and made in sections and
rivetted together, are more or less dam
aged by urine from the closets and
urinals. The floors are rusted through
in places and holes sixteen inches
square are covered with loose planks.
Almost every cell is in this condition,
some even worse. The cell floors
should be repaired with galyaniz d
plates, and copper or zinc pans should
be placed under The urinals and hop
pers, or the cell floors should be COW
cred entirely with copper, with the
edges of the same turned up and sides
slightly lowered TO admit OF drawing
all super flloua water into the sew
or when scrubbed. The cells
could then be kept perfectly clean
and the iron cages remain unin'
iured by water or acid. All present
supply and waste pipes and sewer
connections, which are ion and abso
lutely worthless, should be replaced
by an entirely new system OF galvsn-
lied iron pipes and automatic flush
tanks and ventilatiDg tanks All venti-
lating pipes should be carried through
the roof. The present sewer pipes
are below high water mark, and are
sometimes stopped by back water
from the river. The present Jail sewe r
is tapped by the city sewer, and should
by all means be separate from and in
dependent OF the came, particularly as
the Jail is go near the outletiof the
sewer into the river and 10 affected by
each rise in the river and becomes the
outlet or escape for fermented gases
held in suspense by back water. The
escape of exhaust steam into the sewer
facilitates this fermentation.
The tagging on the Jail floor needs
repairing, and in some places reeet.
ting. Ali iron work needs repairing
and painting after the rust shall be
scraped theTeftom. The brick floors
In the kitchen and basement need re-
laying and new doors are required for
the apartments. The steps from the
basement TO the first floor need repair
ing or new ones should be inserted.
New floors are needed in the jailor's
office and the tower room. The stone
steps al the front entrance need re-
setting, with stone ellis and water
tables poiutsd up and filed in. All
brick work OF the building and outside
walls should be repointed aud washed
down. Wall picfets and iron fences
need strengthening and repairing.
The Jail yard should be properly
drained and paved. Area walls
should be pointed aud cap.
pipg on came reset, and bottoms &C.
mented and otherwise repaired. The
ceiling in the rotunda should be re-
plestered and the walls painted. The
iron cornlcs is corro1ed, and needs re-
pairing. Roof and gutter beds also
need attention. The old 30 Ting basin
or we'll, not used at present, is pr
TALLY filed with water, and should be
filed in or walled up. The entire
building, inside and out, should be
thoroughly cleaned and newly paint.
ed. The Kitchen should be remodeled
and furnished with modern cooking
utensils.
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